Meet Peter Kerkar, the man behind a travel firm's unpleasant journey

A travel and tourism competitor, who met Kerkar at corporate events, says, "He seemed to have many irons in the fire, and it was hard to tell how these businesses were all doing"

Two years ago, in September, as Cox & Kings celebrated its 260th anniversary, Group Chief Executive Officer Ajay Ajit “Peter” Kerkar shared anecdotes of the firm’s journey and its growth plans with an audience that included consuls and corporate heads. Wine flowed freely and a women’s band played at the event held at a Mumbai five-star hotel.

The party, however, didn’t last long. A year later, the company went bust, leaving customers in the lurch and employees without jobs. And on November 26, Kerkar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on charges of money laundering and diverting the Rs 3,642